English Essentials
by AttorneyDoug
Summary: (Oneshot) English class with Mr Lancer is always a drag for Danny. After late night ghost fights, all Danny is focused on is staying awake. However, this time he really needs to pay attention.


Danny stared at the clock hanging haphazardly on the old brick wall in Casper High's English room. The handle seemed to move slower than usual, and Danny's heightened hearing could hear the long dull thud of the handle moving ceremoniously after every second. He wiped his face with his free hand, whilst the other worked to balance his head as he leaned to the side. Mr Lancer drones on as usual about the latest English assignment (Shakespeare? Again?) but who was Danny to care? His _extracurricular activities_ already took up an enormous amount of free time, and whether he wanted to or not, he wouldn't have the time to pick up a pencil and begin a rough draft. In fact, why not catch up on the amount of hours missed because of ghost fighting. Just rest his eyes for a little bit...

"Daniel Fenton!"

Danny bolted upright, his eyes snapping open. In the corner of his eyes he could see Dash and his cronies snickering. His best friend, Tucker Foley, sent him a sympathetic glance.

"Uh, yes sir?"

"Care to explain why you were 'dozing off' during my explanation of your assessment task?"

Danny glanced around nervously. His fists clenched under the table and his shoulders hunched over silently. He could feel everybody's eyes on him, staring into his soul.

"N-no, sir."

Lancer sighed, rubbing a hand over his bald head.

"I will not tolerate this tardy behaviour from you anymore Mr Fenton. You will be joining me again in detention after school."

Danny huffed and ducked his head in silence. Nobody could understand his pain.

"Yes sir".

Mr Lancer sent him one last pitiful glance before returning to the board. Danny's eyes bore holes into the desk as Lancer's monotonous voice droned on in the background. He felt a tap against his shoulder and glanced up slowly. Sam Manson started at him with a face akin to pity, offering a small, quiet smile. But Danny was too tired to smile back today. The emotional struggle of school, and not to mention having to wake up at 3am to contain the Box Ghost (again), was taking its toll on Danny. He could feel the fatigue washing over his body, his eyelids drooping again. Just a little longer...

Danny gasped as a cold shiver washed over his body, producing a thick blue mist from his mouth.

A ghost is nearby.

His eyes skirted around nervously around the area. Skimming out the windows and into the sky, down the hallway, above him. Him posture was straight and tense. It was as if everything was suddenly put into focus.

Sam and Tucker noticed his rigid posture and soon became tense but prepared. Sam's hand reached down slowly to unzip her bag, ever-so-slightly pulling out the containment device - a silver thermos lined with green bars.

"Well well well, what do we have here?"

Danny's head whipped around to face the door, noticing the large metallic figure with a flaming green mohawk. 'Skulker', thought Danny, as his fists clenched tightly.

"I've found you, whelp, right here in this unguarded school!"

Danny swallowed the ever-growing lump in his throat as he stared at Skulker. He was obviously here for him, but the others were unaware of his _ghostliness_. He glanced around and noticed the shaking bodies of his classmates. Apart from Sam and Tucker, they were all cowering in their seats, some were even crying (Paulina). Danny couldn't let anything happen to them. Even if it meant sacrificing his well-maintained secret identity...

"Boss told me you would be here at this time of day," Skulker scratched his metallic chin, "He said I could come and take your pelt for my own".

Danny gritted his teeth. Of course Plasmius was involved in this. 'That stupid fruit loop, always meddling with my life', he thought bitterly.

"And now," Skulker gave a low chuckle, "Surrounded by your peers, you will have no choice but to reveal your true identity."

Dash, Danny's long time bully, stood up bravely in his seat. Danny noticed as the large sticky boy's knees buckled a little bit under the pressure.

"You can't win, ghost," he cheered confidently, "Danny Phantom will show up to save us".

Some of his classmates' heads bobbed at the statement. 'Well if he can get out of the classroom', Danny thought bitterly.

"Oh you stupid naive child," Skulker cackled. Danny noticed that Dash winced at the small retort.

"Danny Phantom isn't arriving anytime soon."

The classes eyes all widened at the statement. Danny would have laughed if it wasn't for the situation.

"That's because he's right _here_."

Silence transpired. Everyone stilled in their seats.

Skulker's large metallic hand reached out and grabbed the nearest body. Blonde hair whipped around as he forcefully dragged the body against his chest and placed a hand close to her head. He floated upwards, still holding the hostage close to him. 'Star', Danny distantly noted in his head. Skulker's hand dangerously pulsed with ectoplasm.

"If you care for this child's life, then you will reveal yourself to the class and come accordingly, ghost child."

Danny's palms sweated as he nervously looked at Star. Her face was frozen in fear, large blue eyes glancing hysterically at Skulker's hand. He had to think of a plan and fast. Good luck came in the form of Samantha Manson.

"But why is Phantom here?" She spoke clearly and confidently, "He is a dead entity, which we are all _clearly_ not, wouldn't he be in the ghost zone and not in a school for depressed teenagers?"

'God I love you Sam', thought Danny. He could tell she was buying him some time to think. He needed Skulker distracted so that he could remove Star from his grasp and defeat him. But he would need to reveal who he was to the class. He already was known as the freak of the school, could he really show them how much _more_ of a freak he is?

"You of all people know that the ghost child resides here, little witch," Skulker spat at Sam, "Now hurry up, ghost child, or I will do more than take your pelt for my wall."

Danny shuddered at the thought. It was now or never. He cupped one hand over his mouth and pointed the other towards Skulker, and screamed as loud as he could.

"Oh my god Skulker is that Pariah Dark?"

Skulker fell for the bait and turned around quickly, eyes widening and dropping Star as he did.

Danny sprung onto the desk and transformed as he propelled himself towards Star. Time seemed to slow down as he felt the rings wash over his body, changing himself into his ghostly persona. His normal white and red t-shirt and denim jeans changed to his iconic black and white jumpsuit with white gloves and boots. His ebony black hair changed to Snow White, and his light blue eyes changed to a neon green. Danny reached his arms outwards and caught Star just before her head whacked the desk, arms slipping under her back as he carried herself bridal style.

The class forgot how to breathe.

He placed her down on the other side of the room and glanced back up at the class. He noticed their shocked yet awed expressions before turning his attention back to Skulker. His face adopted a determined look as he stared up at the older ghost. Skulker glared down at him, obviously annoyed at being tricked.

"How dare you use his name to trick me," he snarled.

"Yeah well, I'm sorry you're pretty gullible."

"It's about time somebody taught you a lesson about that smart tongue."

Danny snorted before smirking.

"I would love to apply. Do you accept credit?"

Skulker fumed before lunging at Danny. He dodged expertly before turning both of them intangible and flying out of the classroom and into the open air.

"Wow, the weather is nice and sunny today. It really shows off your rusty spots."

"It's time I finally got my reward, whelp. How does your pelt hanging on my wall sound?"

"Quite boring to be honest. You'll have to catch me first."

Skulker flew towards Danny whilst firing ectoblasts. Danny looped around before firing beams of ice at Skulker's metallic wings. One shot hit him, sending him downwards for a moment. Danny used this to his advantage by flying underneath and sending a powerful uppercut into his back. Skulker was flown into the side of Casper High, obviously dizzy from the hit.

Sam came running out the doors and sucked Skulker into the thermos, closing the lid tightly around. Danny breathed a sigh of relief before landing and walking over to his friends. He noticed the other students standing there, not knowing how to approach the boy.

Dash bravely spoke up for the others.

"Danny Fenturd is Danny Phanturd?"

Danny chuckled awkwardly before shrugging.

"Uh, surprise?"


End file.
